Last summer, upon arrival in Cincinnati, Fanendo Adi was surprised. He had already conceded to the idea of playing out the season on loan with FC Cincinnati in the United Soccer League in preparation for the transition to MLS this year. But then he arrived in his new professional home and saw the turf.

How was he supposed to train daily on such an old, worn-down surface and then still have fresh legs for game day?

At the point of Adi’s arrival, the playing surface at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium had been beaten down for three years by the wear and tear of Division I college football and professional soccer. A panel system designed to change out the football endzones left visible seams that slightly impacted the direction of a soccer ball that skidded across.

On Friday, Adi’s original concerns were completely put to rest, he said. That’s the day FC Cincinnati trained at Nippert Stadium for the first time in 2019 in preparation for...